In general, an over-the-range microwave oven refers to a microwave oven that discharges air. An over-the-range microwave oven is spaced apart from the upper side of a gas range in order to implement the aforementioned functionality.
A typical over-the-range microwave oven may include a cooking unit and a duct unit. The cooking unit heats substances such as food or liquids (hereinafter, referred to simply as food) using microwave energy. The duct unit is outside the cooking unit and sucks air around the gas range, which is disposed below the over-the-range microwave oven, or outside air into the cooking unit, and discharges air from inside the cooking unit to outside the cooking unit.
An over-the-range microwave oven in the related art is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0538169 (Title of Invention: Wall-Mounted Microwave Oven).
In the related art, air is discharged through an electric equipment chamber, in which most of the drive units are disposed, via an air discharge unit of the duct unit, in order to cool the heat generated by the drive units in the over-the-range microwave oven.
Because the air, which has already cooled the drive units, also cools the air discharge unit in an over-the-range microwave oven in the related art, there is a problem in that the efficiency of cooling the air discharge motor of the air discharge unit is reduced.
In addition, in order to cool the air discharge motor of the air discharge unit, impellers having complicated structures are used in motor cooling units and air discharge units.
In addition, because a separate convection motor is required to create convection, there are problems in that the overall size of the over-range microwave oven and its manufacturing costs are increased.
In summary, there are problems in that the over-the-range microwave oven in the related art has a complicated structure, increased manufacturing costs, and reduced air discharge capacity.